repost from jennylynn.ca, dated March 22, 2021
Dear Tween Girls During COVID, especially my girl:
First of all, just know you are all doing amazing. You are all so strong and resilient. There are times when it feels confusing, but understand, even as adults, we don’t have the answers either. This is totally different territory for everyone.
Will this last, no it won’t. We all are trying our best. There are people who are staying home. People who wear masks. People who work hard in our healthcare system. People who help enforce the rules to keep us safe.
walking through the unknown
I watch you, my daughter, the one who wouldn’t let anything stop her, who was so busy and active before COVID, and then everything came to a screaming hault in March 2020.
For the first time, in a long time, you slowed down. I know you needed this, but I also know, that as an extrovert, you crave the connection that you had before all this. With your teammates and school peers, you had structure, discpline, and you knew what you were doing.
don’t loose sight of who you are
I see you now, second guess yourself, unsure, your confidence is not there. I see the same in the girls that I work with at my school, they too look like they are walking a tight rope, and are teetering unsure of their world.
I want you ladies to know, try, but if it doesn’t go the way you thought it would, or the way it used to, that’s ok. One thing we have learned during COVID, is resilience.
I know that you ladies find it frustrating, that you are not able to control your world. Some of you worry that you not doing good enough school work. Some of you young ladies worry about tests, and that you haven’t learned enough. That’s ok. We only want you to try, and do your best.
adapting, slowing down, enjoying nature, and family
This year is not about getting good grades, its about learning to adapt, understanding we cannot control our environment all the time. It is about the connections we have the people.
This last year has also been about learning to slow down. We as adults have learned to go full throttle, it seems that our society has programmed us. You have permission to slow down, and enjoy life.
This year has been about reconnecting to the outdoors. Appreciating and being mindful of what mother nature has to offer us.
This year has been about connecting with family. Being able to spend time with our family, has brought us closer together. I love hearing your giggles, your chats, and to me this shows how strong we are as a family.
one last thing
I want you to know how amazing you are adapting, being flexible, how strong and courageous you all are. You are all so beautiful, amazing and keep on empowering yourself, don’t loose sight of who you are.
The teachers I work with and know, want you to know it’s ok for you to be frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, and that they are all there for you. Remember to come to them if it is too much, they are there for you, along with your family. To be kind to yourself, your mental health is just as important, and be sure to maintain those friendships and to create new ones.
When all of this is done, you won’t remember what we went through, so much as who was there to help us get through the tough times, and the tools from the lessons that they helped us navigate our way through this crazy world.
I am proud of you, and I get how hard it is to be in this unknown time. I am a mother during COVID, trying to navigate as my own person, and help my little people(even though my little people are pretty big). Do what you can do, we will get through the rest when we can.
Love your Mom(and to some of you, Jenny or Ms. Cates!)
xoxo
Dear Tween Girls During COVID, especially my girl:
First of all, just know you are all doing amazing. You are all so strong and resilient. There are times when it feels confusing, but understand, even as adults, we don’t have the answers either. This is totally different territory for everyone.
Will this last, no it won’t. We all are trying our best. There are people who are staying home. People who wear masks. People who work hard in our healthcare system. People who help enforce the rules to keep us safe.
walking through the unknown
I watch you, my daughter, the one who wouldn’t let anything stop her, who was so busy and active before COVID, and then everything came to a screaming hault in March 2020.
For the first time, in a long time, you slowed down. I know you needed this, but I also know, that as an extrovert, you crave the connection that you had before all this. With your teammates and school peers, you had structure, discpline, and you knew what you were doing.
don’t loose sight of who you are
I see you now, second guess yourself, unsure, your confidence is not there. I see the same in the girls that I work with at my school, they too look like they are walking a tight rope, and are teetering unsure of their world.
I want you ladies to know, try, but if it doesn’t go the way you thought it would, or the way it used to, that’s ok. One thing we have learned during COVID, is resilience.
I know that you ladies find it frustrating, that you are not able to control your world. Some of you worry that you not doing good enough school work. Some of you young ladies worry about tests, and that you haven’t learned enough. That’s ok. We only want you to try, and do your best.
adapting, slowing down, enjoying nature, and family
This year is not about getting good grades, its about learning to adapt, understanding we cannot control our environment all the time. It is about the connections we have the people.
This last year has also been about learning to slow down. We as adults have learned to go full throttle, it seems that our society has programmed us. You have permission to slow down, and enjoy life.
This year has been about reconnecting to the outdoors. Appreciating and being mindful of what mother nature has to offer us.
This year has been about connecting with family. Being able to spend time with our family, has brought us closer together. I love hearing your giggles, your chats, and to me this shows how strong we are as a family.
one last thing
I want you to know how amazing you are adapting, being flexible, how strong and courageous you all are. You are all so beautiful, amazing and keep on empowering yourself, don’t loose sight of who you are.
The teachers I work with and know, want you to know it’s ok for you to be frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, and that they are all there for you. Remember to come to them if it is too much, they are there for you, along with your family. To be kind to yourself, your mental health is just as important, and be sure to maintain those friendships and to create new ones.
When all of this is done, you won’t remember what we went through, so much as who was there to help us get through the tough times, and the tools from the lessons that they helped us navigate our way through this crazy world.
I am proud of you, and I get how hard it is to be in this unknown time. I am a mother during COVID, trying to navigate as my own person, and help my little people(even though my little people are pretty big). Do what you can do, we will get through the rest when we can.
Love your Mom(and to some of you, Jenny or Ms. Cates!)
xoxo